International Dual Degree Program Coordinators Gather at AASCU

Founded in
2001, the AASCU China
1+2+1 program connects AASCU member institutions
with Chinese university partners in increasingly popular dual degree programs.
Each fall the on-campus coordinators for institutions participating in the
China 1+2+1 program gather for a day-and-a-half-long workshop to hear updates on
the program, share common challenges and solutions, network with their
colleagues and prepare for this year’s recruitment cycle. This year’s
Worker Bee meeting took place on Monday, Sept. 18, and gathered 42 “Worker Bees”
to introduce themselves, greet old friends and catch up with the AASCU global
initiatives team.

China 1+2+1
allows Chinese undergraduate students to complete their first year of study at
their home university, study for two years on an AASCU campus, and spend a
final year back on their home campuses. At the end of the four years, the
students graduate with a bachelor’s degree from both institutions. Partnering
with the China Center for International Educational Exchange (CCIEE), the China
1+2+1 program includes 35 AASCU schools and 121 Chinese universities, and has
developed a reputation for success.

“For us, it’s been huge. It created exposure in China,
which brought other opportunities from around the world,” says Silvia Li, Director of Special
International Initiatives at Troy University (Ala.), who was attending the
Worker Bee meeting for the third time. International students make up roughly
11 percent of Troy’s enrollment, and Li says China 1+2+1 “made us the
international university in Alabama and helped define who we are.”

The Worker
Bee gathering continues to grow annually as more campuses adopt the program or
expand their participation. This year’s session was the largest.

It’s wonderful to see this continued growth of the
program, especially in terms of the professional development and networking
opportunities it provides,” says Karl Markgraf, Chief International Officer
& Director of International Programs & Services at University of
Minnesota Duluth. Markgraf, a self-identified “Old Bee” has been attending
Worker Bee meetings for over 11 years. “I think next year, we’re going to need
a bigger room,” he says.